Teen charged in East High hazing faces more charges involving kids

One of three East High School football players charged in 3rd District juvenile court in hazing episodes is now facing five additional felony charges involving sexual misconduct with two children, ages 8 and 11.

Prosecutors say he pointed a gun at the children and demanded sexual favors.

Two of the teen's fellow football players pleaded guilty in December to reduced misdemeanor charges in connection with the hazing and were sentenced to 100 hours of community service. They were also ordered to have no contact with their victims, who were fellow high school teens, other than to provide letters of apology.

The pair also agreed to testify against the third teen. All three were 15 at the time and were members of the school's sophomore football team. None of them attends East High now.

The third teenager in the case, who is now 16, still faces charges of forcible sodomy, attempted forcible sodomy and forcible sexual abuse as a result of the hazing incidents that occurred in September. But he is now facing new charges stemming from actions that allegedly occurred with younger boys in March 2007.

These new charges include two counts of attempted sodomy on a child, a second-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; and lewdness involving a child, also a third-degree felony.

Court documents filed Thursday state that the 16-year-old held a gun to an 11-year-old boy's head and to the head of another child and told them to clean a house. The teen also demanded that the 11-year-old perform a sexual act with him, according to court documents.

Prosecutors also state that the 16-year-old, on another occasion, held a gun to an 8-year-old boy's head and told him to clean a room, then insisted the child perform a sexual act with him, which the younger boy refused to do. The 16-year-old then committed a sex act in front of the child, court documents state.

The original hazing episodes involved these three teenagers who physically held down other players and committed sex acts on them in locker rooms or showers. A student who witnessed one crime reported it to a coach, who in turn contacted school administrators and then Salt Lake police were summoned.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com

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